HAHN-SCHICKARD-GESELLSCHAFT FUR ANGEWANDTE FORSCHUNG EV

Their core work

Hahn-Schickard is a German applied research institute specializing in microsystems technology, lab-on-a-chip diagnostics, and smart systems integration. They bridge the gap between academic research and industrial application — developing miniaturized sensors, microfluidic platforms, and smart manufacturing tools that companies can actually use. Their work spans from point-of-care medical diagnostics using centrifugal microfluidics to digitisation support for European SMEs through technology brokering and innovation portals. They are a practical engineering partner that turns micro- and nanotechnology concepts into functional prototypes and production-ready systems.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), Hahn-Schickard focused on hardware-level innovation: miniaturized smart systems, lab-on-a-chip microfluidics, and manufacturing access for SMEs through their coordinated SMARTER-SI project. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward digitisation ecosystems, electronics industry strategy, and reliability engineering for Industry 4.0 — reflecting Germany's broader push into smart manufacturing. They also expanded into new application domains like dermatology biomarkers and photonic food sensing, suggesting a deliberate strategy to apply their microsystems expertise across diverse sectors.

Hahn-Schickard is moving from building individual smart devices toward orchestrating digital transformation infrastructure for European manufacturing, making them increasingly relevant for Industry 4.0 and smart factory consortia.

How they like to work

Hahn-Schickard operates as both a project leader and a reliable consortium partner — they coordinated 3 of 13 projects (23%), which is above average for a mid-sized research institute. With 242 unique partners across 30 countries, they maintain a wide and non-repetitive network, indicating they are sought after by diverse consortia rather than locked into a few recurring partnerships. Their mix of RIA (research) and CSA (coordination/support) projects shows they are comfortable in both technical delivery and ecosystem-building roles.

They have collaborated with 242 unique partners across 30 countries, giving them one of the broader networks for an institute of their size. Their partnerships span Western and Eastern Europe with no obvious geographic bias, reflecting their role in pan-European digitisation and technology transfer initiatives.

What sets them apart

Hahn-Schickard sits at a rare intersection: they combine deep hardware expertise in microsystems and microfluidics with a strong track record in technology transfer and SME support. Unlike purely academic institutes, they understand manufacturing scale-up; unlike large industrial labs, they remain accessible and project-oriented. For consortium builders, they offer both technical depth in miniaturized systems and practical experience running pan-European digitisation networks — a combination that is hard to find elsewhere in Germany's applied research landscape.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SMARTER-SI
  Their largest project (EUR 1.24M) and a coordinator role — built manufacturing access services for smart systems integration, directly reflecting their core mission.
• DIAGORAS
  Coordinated a nearly EUR 1M project developing centrifugal microfluidic diagnostics for antibiotic resistance — showcasing their lab-on-a-chip capabilities in a high-impact health application.
• Smart4Europe
  Coordinated the Smart Anything Everywhere initiative, positioning Hahn-Schickard as a central node in Europe's digitisation ecosystem for SMEs.